VENTNOR BOAT WORKS was established by Adolph E. Apel in 1902 in Ventnor, New Jersey, about the time gasoline engines were being built for marine use, and motorboat racing was in its infancy. Mr. Apel, realizing that radical changes in hull design would be necessary and advantageous in attaining better boat speeds in ratio to the horsepower developed by these motors, proceeded on this theory to devote his designing faculties and efforts in inventing bottom designs that would give outstanding performance.

As the years went on, engine development was amazing and by 1911 and 1912, there was sufficient power available in gasoline engines to propel boats at greater speed.

Mr. Apel, due to his research and experimental work I hull designing and building, kept apace with engine development and became successful in making phenomenal records with his designs. In 1913, he invented a design that proved superior to his previous models from which he built the famous "Tech-Jr." for Mr. T. Coleman DuPont, powered with a 225 h.p. engine, it attained a speed of 60.3 m.p.h.; this was a phenomena plus, the world's first boat to exceed the speed of over a mile a minute.

Noteworthy also during these early years, Ventnor was called upon to custom-build many various types of watercraft-skiffs, tenders, utilities, launches, runabouts and commercial vessels, along with all the race boats for industry leaders and nobility in addition to heads of state from around the world.

In 1931, the A.P.B.A. (American Power Boat Association) created a new class: the "135 cu. in. Class". The first boat to establish a record that year was the Ventnor "Flying Eagle", with a speed of 35.7 m.p.h. Then Ventnor continuously established new records up to 54.083 m.p.h., and the 'flying mile' at 67.479 m.p.h.

1934 saw the APBA introduce the new 225 cu. in. class. Ventnor immediately took all competitive and mile records as well. Mr. S. Mortimer Averbach's "Emancipator" set the record of 44.138 m.p.h., then went on to record 66.639 m.p.h., plus the flying mile at 87.485 m.p.h. Each successive year in the popular 91, 135 and 225 classes, Ventnor boats boosted all records plus, took both divisional and national championships.

In 1936, Mr. Apel designed and patented in both the U.S. and U.K., the first 3-point suspension hull which was a radical departure from conventional single-step designs. This change alone gave an increase of 7 to 10 m.p.h. in hull speed. The design is still used and raced today. 1937 saw Commander Jack Rutherford's "Juno" win the Presidents Cup in his un-supercharged, Packard-powered Ventnor Gold Cup hull. Boosting the current record over 12 m.p.h., from 72 to 84.6 m.p.h.